Gate-fastener.



W. G. NEEL.

GATE FASTENER.

APPLICATION TILED 0019, 1909.

982,010. Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

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STA A WALTER C. NEEL, OF KINSL'E-Y, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHRIS G. KRUPP, OF KINSLEY, KANSAS.

GATE-FASTENE-R.

Application filed October 9, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTER C. NEEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kinsley, in the county of Edwards and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Gate-Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide novel, simple details of construction for fastening for a swinging gate, which will automatically lock the gate in closed condition when it is swung into engagement with a catch on a fence post or like support,

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a gate and posts that support it, the gate being secured in closed condition by the improved fastening device; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, taken substantially on the broken line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view of details substantially on the line 33 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view, substantially on the line 4 -4 in Fig. 1.

In the construction and application of the invention as shown in the drawings, 5, 5 represent two posts that define an opening A in a fence or the like, which is normally closed by a gate 6. The gate may be formed of boards secured together so as to be imperforate, but preferably as shown, it consists of upright palings 7, that are secured at equal distance of separation, upon two horizontal batten bars 8, 8 The length of the batten bars 8, 8 is somewhat less than the width of the opening A, and at corresponding ends of said bars a hinge leaf a is formed on each one.

There are two properly spaced hinge leaves or lugs b secured on the post 5, said lugs affording seats for the hinge leaves a which are thereon lapped, and pivotally secured by a pintle rod 9, that is loosely inserted down through alined perforations in the leaves and lugs as is shown in Fig. 1.

The hinged connection of the gate 6, with the post 5, disposes the batten bars 8, 8 in a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 521,898.

horizontal position, and as the gate is of a less width than the space A between the posts 5, 5 clearance is afforded for the location of keeper plates 10, on the post 5 which will be hereinafter specifically described. At the center of the upper batten bar 8, a longitudinal slot 0 is formed therein for reception of a slide bar 11, which is vertically disposed, and near its center is provided with a transverse handle piece 0 that affords convenient means for manually raising the slide bar.

The keeper plates 10, are of similar form, each consisting of a plate metal strip bent to produce two latching members thereon which are spaced apart forming two similar parallel shoulders (Z, (Z thereon, and two sloped surfaces cl d adjacent to the shoulders as shown for one keeper plate in Fig. 2. Upon each batten bar 8, 8*, a latch bar 12 is slidably secured by means of two loopedv bands 6, e, that are mounted upon the upper side of a respective batten bar and are secured thereto. The positions of the keeper plates 10 are such that they will respectively receive an end of a latch bar 12, and to facilitate the latched engagement of the ends of said latch bars with said keeper plates, the ends of these bars are laterally beveled so that they will ride upon the sloped surfaces d and pass into the spaces between the shoulders d. Upon the upper side of each latch bar 12, near the outer end thereof, one end of an elongated link bar 13 is pivoted, and as is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the opposite ends of said link bars are bifurcated, and loosely embrace the sides of the slide bar 11, whereon they are pivoted. Two similar link bars 13 are pivoted in a similar manner on the slide bar 11, and eX- tend toward the post 5, said link bars hav ing their extended ends pivoted upon upright projections f that are secured on the batten bars 8, 8

It will be noted that when-the gate 6 is closed, the gravity of the slide bar 11 will dispose all the link bars 13 horizontally, and project the latch bars 12 into latched engagement with the keeper plates 10, the pair of link bars at the left in Fig. 1 serving to laterally support the slide bar so that it will reciprocate freely. When the gate is to be released from the post 5 and subsequently swung open, the slide bar 11 is raised by manipulation of the handle piece 0, which may be readily effected from either side of the gate, this elevation of the slide bar correspondingly lifting the engaged ends of the link bars 13, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, which will retract the latch bars 12 sufficiently to release their outer ends from the keeper plates 10.

It will be seen, that as the latch bars 12 are located below the link bars 13, the closure of the gate from either side will force the latch. bars rearwardly, and correspondingly raise the slide bar 11, which will drop by gravity when the noses on the latch bars have entered the spaces between the shoulders (Z, and thus automatically lock the gate in closed condition.

The employment of the vertical slide bar 11, and its pivotal connection with the ends of the link bars 13, that at their'opposite ends are pivoted upon the slidable latch bars'lz, is a leading feature of the invention, as by this novel combination of parts, the weight of the slide bar only, causes the latch bars to engage the keeper plates 10, avoiding the use of springs for such a purpose.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with a hinged gate, of a sliding latch, a vertically sliding operating bar mounted in the gate approximately at the center thereof and provided with a handle rigid therewith, and a link pivoted at one end to the upper face of the latch and at its other end to the operating bar adjacent to the upper end thereof, whereby the latch will be normally held projected by the gravity of the operating bar.

2. The combination with a hinged gate, of a sliding latch, a vertically sliding operating bar mounted in the gate intermediate of the hinged and free ends thereof and provided with a handle, a link pivoted to the latch and operating bar, and a second link pivoted to the operating bar and to the gate.

3. The combination with a hinged gate, of two sliding latches, a vertically sliding operating bar mounted in the gate at about the center thereof and provided with a handle, a pair of links pivoted to the operating bar adjacent to its upper end, one link being pivoted to the upper latch and the other to the gate, and a second pair of links pivoted to the lower end of the said bar, one link being pivoted to the lower latch and the other to the gate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WALTER C. NEEL. Witnesses M. A. WILSON, FLOYD E. WELLMAN. 

